Combined electric ironing board and heater



Nov. 1, 1949. Q L. F. GILBRYEATH 2,486,642

COMBINED ELECTRIC IRONING BOARD AND HEATER Filed Nov 20, 1946 Inventor Lem F. Gilbreuth Atloreys Patented Nov. 1, 1949 COMBINED ELECTRIC IRONING BOARD AND HEATER Lem F. Gilbreath, Fort Payne, Ala., assignor of fifty per cent to Clifton Edwards, Fort Payne,

Ala.

Application November 20, 1946, Serial No. 711,067

Claims.

My invention relates to novel and useful improvements in a combined ironing board and electric heater and more particularly pertains to a fiat top electric heater having a collapsible supporting leg arrangement and having a detachably engageable ironing board top provided with a water vaporizer and steam vents therein.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a device which may be readily disassembled and compactly folded into a small space; which is designed to constitute an efficient stove or electric heater; which may be easily assembled to provide an electrically heated ironing board; to provide a novel and eflicaclous steam providing means for use when said device is employed as an ironing board; and in general to provide an article of the character set forth which is of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

These, together with various auxiliary objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are realized by my invention, one embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the device assembled to provide an ironing board;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the heating element arrangement of the device;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view being taken substantially upon the section line 3-3 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a detail view similarto Figure 3 but showing the ironing board slat folded into its open position.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views, numeral I0 designates a-base to which is pivotally attached a collapsible supporting leg arrangement conventionally indicated as at I2. The base Ill is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending supporting ribs or flanges I4 which support a heating coil or heating coils l6 which are arranged for longitudinal disposition through suitable insulated aperture in said ribs [4. The ends of the coil or coils are suitably connected to a terminal strip It to which electric current is supplied from any suitable source by means of the heat control switch 20. The device as so far described may be employed to constitute an open top oven or stove, or to function as an electric heater for any desired purpose.

Hinged to the side of the base as by hinges 22, is a top member 24 having suitable downwardly extending lateral flanges 25 which are adapted to snugly embrace and enclose the ribs M, the heating element l6 and to rest upon the top surface of the base l0. At a suitable po nt upon their interior surface, the flanges 26 are provided with a shoulder 28 adapted to support and retain in the upper surface of the top 24 when in a closed position shown in Figure 3, a pan or tray 30 adapted to contain water or the like. The upper surface of the top 24 is provided with series of perforations or vents 32 for the passage of steam or water vapor when generated by the water pan in a manner to be set forth hereinafter. Water or other liquid is retained in a reservoir 34 mounted in any suitable manner upon the top 24, and is fed under the regulatable control of a needle dial 36 by means of a conduit 38 into the water pan or tray 30. The proportion of parts is such that when the top is closed upon the heating element in the manner shown in Figure 3, the lower surface of the water tray 30 is disposed immediately above and is supported by the transverse ribs l4. By means of this construction, steam or water vapor may be readily generated and supplied to the upper surface of the ironing board at evenly spaced points by means of the vents 32, the rate of supply of the vapor being controlled by proper manipulation of the delivery valve 36.

What I claim as my invention is: I

1. A combined ironing board and electric heater comprising an elongated base, heating elements supported upon the top of said base, a cover hinged to the side of said base for enclosing said heating elements, said cover being movable away from said base to expose said heating elements, a humidifying tank supported on said cover in position to overlie said heating elements and a plurality of vapor vents in the top surfaces of said cover in communication with said humidifying tank.

2. A combined ironing board and electric heater comprising an elongated base. heating elements supported upon the top of said base, a cover hinged to the side of said base for enclosing said heating elements, said cover being movable away from said base to expose said heating elements, a humidifying tank supported on said cover in position to overlie said heating elements, a plurality of vapor vents in the top surfaces of said cover in communication with said humldifying tank, a liquid reservoir carried by said cover and conduit means establishing communication between said reservoir and said tank.

3. A combined ironing board and electric heater comprising an elongated base, heating elements supported upon the top of said base, a cover hinged to the side of said base for enclosing said heating elements, a humidifying tank supported on said cover in position to overlie said heating elements, a plurality of vapor vents in the top surfanessofasaid cover' imoommunication with said huriiidfiyingrtank, ajliqiiid-reservoincarried by said cover, conduit means establishing communication between said reservoir and said-A10 tank, and valve means for controlling thefiow of liquid from said reservoir to"saidtarik.

4. A combined ironing board and electric h'eater comprising an elongaltedabasepvheatmguelements supported upon theitopeofisa'id baseand a cover hinged to the side of said base for enclosing said heating elements saidxcoverrhavingidepending marginal flanges engageable with said base and enclosing said heating elements.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said cover has depending marginal flanges engageable with said base and enclosing said heating elements and reservoir.

LEM F. GILBREATH.

REFERENCES rGI'liED "The*foHowing'references" are "of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l fNumber Name Date 951,673 Ball Mar. 8, 1910 ..,F1;3Tf5,80'1 Ross Apr. 26, 1921 13291165 "Ffiedman Sept. 19,1922 1,644,929 Ledbetter Oct. 11, 1927 

